Obituary of Sam Cleland

Sam Cleland, prominent Ft. Wayne attorney died Fri. Jan, 1945, at the Lutheran Hospital. He had been a patient there since last week when he had a heart attack.

He was a member of the law firm of Reed, Cleland, Ebbeman, and Torborg, and a war time candidate of the Dem. Ticket for the Congressional seat of Geo. Gillie.

Mr. Cleland was attorney for the Taxpayers’ Research Association for a number of years. He was active in a number of other civic and political groups.

Mr. Cleland was a native of Noble Co., was graduated from Albion H. S. in 1910. He took teacher training at Tri State College, Angola and taught two terms in Noble Co. schools.

He was deputy surveyor of Noble Co., the following two years and served as chief clerk of the Ind. state Senate in 1915 and left in 1917 to serve as a private in the infantry. He later moved through the nom.-com. Grades and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant.

In WWI he served in Fr. With Co. F, 363rd infantry, 91st Div., and was wounded in the Ypres-Lys offensive Oct 31, 1918. He was discharged Dec. 23, 1919, and re-entered Ind. U. Law School the following Feb. He remained there until 1922 and was graduated with honors and with the degree of L.L.B., and L.L.M. from the Ind. U. Law School. During the last year, while working for Masters Degree he taught Dean Chas. M. Hepburns’ courses in common law pleadings and code pleading while the dean was ill for 8 months.

He entered the practice of law in Ft. Wayne with former judge Eggeman in 1922 and has continued in practice since that date, He had unusually broad experience in trial and appellate practice in state and Federal courts.

He was Allen Co. attorney for five years, active in Democrat politics, Demo. Co. Chm. for 5 years. He was Chm. of the Allen Co. De., Speakers Bureau for three campaigns, a member of the state group for five campaigns and the Natl bureau for three campaigns.

He was a member of the Plymouth Congregational church, the American, Ind. and Allen Co. Bar Assn. the order of the Coif: Phi Delta Phi, legal fraternity; the Am. Legion; the Veterans of Foreign Wars; the Disabled American Veterans; the Scottish Rite and the Optimist Club.

Survivors include; the widow, the former Bertha Hart, her father, a son, who is a Jr. at Ind. U. a daughter Mary, who is a graduate of Ind. U.

Funeral services at the Klaehn funeral home by Rev. Elmer E. Voelkel. Burial in Lindenwood Cemetery.

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